Display sign



Oct. 11, 1938. B. N. REAMER DISPLAY SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2. 1938 INVENTOR 5 en fan N. Reamer ATTORNEY Oct. 11, 1938.

B. N. REAMER I, 3 70 DISPLAY SIGN Filed June 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 56/270/7 N Reamer lam axial ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 11, 1938 j UNITED sTATE -S* YOP-ZF C r DISPLAY SIGN Y Bentonlfill teanier, jersey cityglq. J. r

pplication" June 2, 1938', Serial No 211,379

.be'used indoors. i

' The principal object of the invention is to pro-.

to do particularly with that type of sign inwhich a series of cartoons or pictures in continuity may be intermittently shown for advertising various productsor enterprises. While the sign'has been primarily designed for outdoor use it mayreadily vide asign which is extremely compact inconstruction and Will permit of the display of stantial amount of advertising matter. A further object is to provide a sign which is strong-and rugged in construction and one that will readily withstandthe elements, particularly hw nds- A'further'object is-to provide a sign of extreme- 1y simple construction which will require practically no attention except when it is desired to change the displays.

With the foregoing objects in view and others that will become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be hereinafter described and one embodiment thereof illustrated.

in'the accompanying drawings. Referring to said drawings: a

Fig. 1 is a front elevationwith parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of ing the sign has been omitted as it may be widely varied and forms no part of the invention. The ;face of the bulletin board or sign is indicated at I 0 in Figs. 2 and 3 and the face bears suitable 7 advertising matter and is provided with an open-- ing H through which the intermittently moved sheets or panels of subject matter may be viewed.

The sign comprises a plurality of sheets .or

panels l2 arranged as a continuous curtain and formed ofcanvas or some other suitable flexible material upon which a series of pictures or cartoons may be painted or posted. The upper edge,

\when viewed from the front of the sign of each,

sheet or panel is removably clipped as indicated at l3 to a supporting rod l4. The lower edge of each sheet or panel I2 is secured to a weighted I rod I 5 and this lower edge is removably' clipped as indicated at l6 totl'ie supporting rod I4. One

5 or more extra spanner strips I! may be utilized a V a I I "4 mi ic-1.40401)- The invention relates jtodisplay signs and has.

asub- 7 to maintain the lateral edges of thesheetsin parallelrelation.

- i Theweighted rods l5 are substantially'coexten- 'sive with the width of the sheets I2. The supporting rods 14 extend beyond the lateral edges I 'ofthe sheets and their ends are carried by a sprocket chain 20; Asshown in Fig. Ethe links carrying the supporting rods l4 may be thickened or'p'rovided'with bosses and pins 2| may be used to prevent disengagement of the support ing rods from thesprocket chains.

'The ends of the supporting rods l4 intermedi ate the sprocket chain- 20 andthe sheets -l2' are provided with guide rollers; 23 which engage coritinuous tracks 24, 'oneon either side of the sign.

The tracks have front portions 25 snares-tor tions 26 which are connected at their upper ends by rounded portions 21 and at their lower by what might betermed storage portions 28. The

. storage portions of the tracks areangularly disposed from front to rear for reasons that will be hereinafter apparent. The curved upper portions 21 of the tracks substantially conform to the circumference of a large drum'30 over which the sheets pass.

The operation of the sign is dependent upon a positive drive and gravity. When the sheets or panels aregbeing drawn from the storage portions 28, of the tracks, the positive drive is relied on. After the sheets have passed over the drum 30 into their display position gravity takes care of the operation. As the sheets pass downwardly after moving over the drum the rollers 23 will slide by gravity along the sloped regions of the storage portions 28 of the tracks and the rollers will come to rest with thesheets draped or in ffolds as shown in Fig. 3. Obviously as shown in 'Fig. 2 the sprocket chains 20 will assume the same general formation.

The drive will nowbe described. The drum 3!] is provided with sprockets 3| at both ends for engagement with the sprocket chains 20, and the pitch diameter of the sprockets 3| is substantially the same as the diameter of the drum and the radius of the rounded portions 21 of the tracks. The drum 30 and its sprockets 3| are secured to a shaft 32. Freely mounted on the shaft 32 is another sprocket 33 which is. engaged by a sprocket chain 34 which is driven through suitable gearing 35 from a motor 36. The sprocket chain 34 has secured to it a dog 3'l which contacts with either one of a pair of stops38-mounted on the drum 3!]. The dog ,31 in its travel engages one of the stops 38 and the drum is rotated one-half a revolution which is sufllcient an effective means for preventing bellowing. or.

buckling of the sheets and greatly adding to the life of the sign.

Changes in details of construction and arrangements or parts such as would occur to one skilled in the art are to be considered as coming within the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: I s a I 1. A display sign having in; combination, a pluralityof sheets, arranged a continuous curtain, supporting rods for said sheets, guide rollers onthe ends of said supportingrods, a continuoustraok cooperating with said rollers for guiding said sheets, a storage portion in the lower region of said track, a pair of sprocket chains substantially the same length as said curtain for carrying said supporting rods, and means for intermittentiy moving said sprocket chains so as to raise said sheets from said storage portion, the sheets moving back into saidstorage portion under the force. of gravity.

a 2. A display sign having in combination, a plurality of sheets arranged as a continuous cur tain, supporting rods for said sheets, guide rollers on the ends of said supporting rods, a continuous track cooperating with said rollers for guiding said sheets, a storage portion in the lower region of said track, a drum over which said curtain passes, the upper portion of said track substantially conforming to the circumference of said drum, sprockets on both ends of said drum, the pitch diameter of the sprockets being substantially the same as the diameter of said drum, a pair of sprooketchains engaging said sprockets, said sprocket chains being substantially the same length as said curtain and carrying said supporting rods, and means for intermittently moving said sprocket chains so as to raise said sheets from said storage portion over said drum, the sheets moving from the drum to the storage space under the force of gravity.

A display sign having in combination, a plurality of sheets arranged as a continuous curtain, a continuous track for guiding said sheets, a storage portion in the lower region of said track,means for intermittently moving said curtainin said track, and a rigid'plate against which said sheets contact in the display position.

4. A display sign having in combination a plurality of sheets arranged as a continuous cur tain, sprocket chains substantially the same length as said curtain, means for securing said curtain to saidsprooket chains, means for guiding said sprocket chains, means forintermittently moving said'sprooket chains so asto-bring said sheets to a display position, and arigid substantially vertical plate against which said sheets contact in the display position.

BENTON N; REAMER. 

